Innovating, Differentiating, & Assuring Cultural Compatibility: Lessons Learned in Faculty Transition & Student Retention

Elizabeth S. Aversa, Ph.D.Steven L. MacCall, Ph.D.School of Library & Information StudiesUniversity of Alabama

Why the Wimba Option for SLIS? SLIS culture and values

Close-knit community Personalized program Communicative faculty and students Selective admissions

SLIS faculty experience University support

Rationale for Wimba

SLIS benefits from strategic adoption of online education.

SLIS benefits from previous experience with two-way compressed video delivery of instruction

SLIS benefits from providing a full master’s program to a highly selective audience of limited size

Context for Online LIS Education LIS education suffers geographical imbalance

Number of accredited programs <60 Programs are mainly in south, east, midwest Few programs are in the west (only 2 in CA)

LIS educators have long sought new pedagogical modes to address the imbalance Faculty traveled to off-campus sites Correspondence courses via USPS

Era of Telecomm LIS education Early Internet (1970s-1980s)

Early Internet allowed for email to substitute for the USPS for correspondence type courses

Lack of bandwidth prevented graphical, audio, and video files over the web

Compressed two-way video networks (1990s) Delivered live lectures (audio and video) to

locations on the network Students had to travel to sites on the network to

receive instruction

Web Era Online Education

Web emerged as the “graphical interface” for Internet applications (mid-1990s) Multimedia capabilities Easy “point and click” end user operations

Simultaneously, Internet bandwidth increased Fiber optic lines were laid across the country However, the “final mile” problem persists even in

an era of cable and DSL

The SLIS Model for Online Education Blackboard Vista platform (BB Vista)

Used for secure course websites Provides access to course support materials including

syllabi, calendars, readings, lecture notes, etc. Wimba platform for 2-way VoIP

Simulates classroom experience Students hear live lectures, discussion and questions with

professors and classmates Chat remains useful but in context of the live lectures

Advantages of SLIS Model

Real time VoIP-based lecture delivery mode Provides opportunity for real time learning Asynchronous modes of delivery will be

strategically deployed during MLIS coursework SLIS model is not for everyone

Students must attend classes at appointed times Not “self-paced” like many fully asynchronous LIS

degree programs

Transitioning from the Physical Classroom to Wimba Live Classroom

Opportunity

Could draw on previous SLIS culture of live lectures at a distance with two-way compressed video

Use of two way VoIP technology for live lecturing, student questions, student breakout groups

Wimba Live Classroom and BB Vista for course support materials

Challenges

Transitioning an ALA-accredited program to online delivery

Director’s concern for student well-being Concern for faculty well being

Course support materials Lecturing/class participation

It Starts with BB Vista

BB Vista for face-to-face and DE courses BB Vista course website governs student

access to Wimba Live Classroom BB Vista populated by university registration

system (Banner) However, BB Vista and Wimba are managed

by different units at UA

Course Support Material Migration Straightforward for those who were proficient

with BB Vista’s predecessor (Web-CT) But, those who had not used a course

management system had to learn Using live two-way VoIP (Wimba) meant that

all course content did not have to go on Web-CT (or now, BB Vista)

Lecturing and Class Participation Two simple steps to enter classroom

Through BB Vista Students need no reminder

Familiar “hand raising” function is key for managing Live Classroom during lectures

Use of familiar PPT, graphical exhibits, or websites is facilitated by application sharing and thus allows faculty to replicate face-to-face teaching experience

Advantages of Two-Way VoIP

Course preparation is not onerous due to continuing reliance on the spoken word to deliver course content

Lecturing process is highly transparent Energy in the voice comes through to

students, so the personality of the professor and students remains in evidence

Everyone hears students questions and faculty response (and can cue from the tone of the discussion, questioner’s voice, etc.)

Disadvantages of Two-Way VoIP Lack of non-verbal cues to modulate class

comprehension as a whole and student questions individually

Class lectures can take longer than in face-to-face delivery mode

Net congestion

DE Coordinator’s Perspective

Web-CT/BB Vista: Several faculty members had no experience with course management systems, so our solution was to deliver course materials as Word documents and then to slowly add more sophisticated functions

Wimba Live Classroom: Because of our culture of delivering live distance education by compressed video our solution was to simply demystify

Director’s Perspective

Concern for the possibility of increased faculty workload that could be caused by increased e-mail and discussion board traffic

Concern with maintaining student engagement during courses

Interest in framing research that would enable faculty to improve student learning while maintaining reasonable faculty workloads

Successful Strategies for a Successful Program Planned

Integrated

Monitored

Strategies for Successful Program Management Enhanced teaching

Enhanced learning, problem solving, and critical thinking

Building community and professional identity

SLIS Strategies are Designed to Avoid Student Isolation

Distraction of competing adult responsibilities

Technological problems

Avoiding Student Isolation

Cohort concept On-campus boot camp orientation Availability of extracurricular activities and

professional association chapters Town Hall meetings Mixed modality electives integrate on-campus

students and broaden the students’ networks

Avoiding Adult Distractions

Live lecture classes Attendance policies Group responsibilities 24/7 break out rooms for discussion, group

work, planning meetings, and socializing Archives are available if distractions occur

Avoiding Technical & Logistical Problems Real time tech support during class sessions Tech consulting at orientation and throughout

the program for individual problems Peer assisting is part of learning community

concept Library support from University libraries and

DE librarian

Student Retention and Growing Success 2005 Pioneer Cohort

Admitted 43 Retained 42 in year 2

2006 Second Wave Cohort Admitted 44 Retained 40 in year 2

2007 Three’s the Charm Cohort Admitted 41 in August 2007 from 180+ eligible,

admissible applicants

Research to Inform & Refine Future SLIS Approaches Research questions:

How much additional e-mail does a professor handle in an online class that uses Wimba?

How can messages be characterized? How do messages differ from face-to-face

classroom communications? What is the workload impact?

Tentative Results

1. Classification scheme

2. Transcripts

3. Anticipated completion.

Contacts

Steven MacCall, Associate Professor (smaccall@bama.ua.edu) Elizabeth Aversa, Professor & Director

(eaversa@slis.ua.edu)

Phone 204-348-4610

School of Library & Information StudiesUniversity of AlabamaBox 870252Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Program description at http://www.slis.ua.edu